Greg McElroy Makes His Big Ten, SEC and ACC Championship Picks Official

With Week 0 on the horizon, college football media pundits are releasing the last of their preseason projections for the 2026 season.

Former Alabama quarterback and ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy has finalized his 2026conference championship predictions. In the Big Ten, SEC and ACC, McElroy picked the conference's preseason media poll pick as his winner in 2026.

Big Ten Championship- Ohio State vs. Oregon

The two highest-ranked teams in both the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll are who McElroy projects to play in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Oregon brings back more returning production than Ohio State, but Ohio State's less proven pieces may have higher upside. The Buckeyes and Ducks meet about a month before the Big Ten Championship, and McElroy ultimately picked the Buckeyes to prevail in the conference championship.

"I have Ohio State sitting there at 11-1 in the regular season, they win it in Indianapolis," McElroy said. "They're my No. 1 team and they're the AP's No. 1 team. I look at the team across from them, Oregon, I love them. I don't know where exactly their losses might fall, I have two (losses) potentially in the regular season."

SEC Championship- Georgia vs Texas

Scenes from the 2024 SEC Championship. — Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) attempts to make a catch over Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) during the second half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Bulldogs and Longhorns have been a popular projection for the 2026 SEC Championship Game. Georgia has reached each of the last five SEC Championships and is replete with talent from its 2025 roster while Texas' portal acquisitions make for one of college football's most potent rosters.

McElroy projected both the Bulldogs and Longhorns to come into Atlanta with 10-2 regular season marks. He took Georgia to win the game for a fourth consecutive season, but he believes Texas is good enough to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff with three losses.

"Georgia goes 10-2, gets to Atlanta," McElroy said. "You look at Kirby Smart, 10-2 in a nine-game league's not necessarily a disappointment, it's just a tax and he pays and still walks out with the trophy. Meanwhile, Texas finished 10-2 in the regular season with a loss in the conference championship game, but still a 10-3 team with that schedule, arguably the third-toughest in America with Ohio State in the non-conference, is a really good season that will be more than enough to make the College Football Playoff."

ACC Championship- Miami vs Louisville

The Hurricanes seem like a virtually unanimous pick to win the ACC Championship this season. They retained plenty of production from their elite defense a year ago, and the addition of Darian Mensah is expected to elevate their offense to heights that were unreachable with Carson Beck.

"Miami, I have them going 11-1, you can probably assume where that one loss is coming, if you look at their schedule it's a little bit easier to pick out," McElroy said. "I have them at 11-1, 12-1 after they win the ACC."

McElroy did not opine on Louisville's path to the ACC Championship. The Cardinals have won nine or more games in each of their previous three seasons under Jeff Brohm, a mark that has kept them near the top of the conference. Louisville is operating with several new pieces in 2026, but it retained its backfield tandem of Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown and multiple key defensive starters.

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